The Swiss political system

Switzerland's political system always seeks to find a balance between the different interests in any particular issue. There is a widely-held belief that people of different cultures and languages can only live together peacefully if they treat each other and the environment in which they live with respect.

The Swiss government is made up of seven members, the Federal Councillors, representing the four largest parties in parliament, which span a wide range of political opinions. Each Councillor heads a federal department, the equivalent of a ministry in most other countries.

The websites of the Swiss parliament, the Federal Authorities and the Federal departments are listed below.